Which Teams will not be making the Playoffs and Why -NHL Special Part 3
Tampa Bay Lightning
As disappointing as it might seem, Tampa Bay Lightning will not be making the 2012 National Hockey League (NHL) playoffs this time around and certainly do not deserve to.
Fans would have to agree that throughout this 2011-2012 regular season, the Lightning have not showed any performance that would allow for someone to call them a playoff worthy team.
With injury related issues, goaltending problems, Tampa Bay just is not consistent to make it back up in the Eastern Conference postseason race with just three wins in the pasts seven matchups in the month of March so far, things are not looking high for
them.
Dwayne Roloson has always been a major force to the Lightning managing to come up big every time, including last year’s playoffs in which Tampa Bay surprisingly reached the Eastern Conference finals. But now, it seems as if the veteran has finally called
it a season and could be seen as putting up his retirement during the offseason.
The Lightning tried to bring in Dustin Tokarski to cover the playoff spot, but it has not been easy for him to carry the team in such little time. If Tampa Bay wants Tokarski to grow as their main goaltender, they will have to wait for at least another season.
Tampa Bay most recently missed the playoffs after the 2009-2010 regular season and it seems like it just might be another repeat for them this time.
Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo was expected to set the stage and enter into a new era of hockey playing with a new owner willing to spend extravagantly to fulfil each and every desire of his players, but that has died down now.
Sabres were up in the Eastern Conference early on in the regular season but have now dropped down and continue to do so as Buffalo sits at number-nine with 80 points, now tied with the eight place Washington Capitals team.
They missed their last playoffs back following the 2008-2009 regular season and seeing them do it again this time will definitely be disappointing. Buffalo has eight games remaining till this season comes to a close and seeing the competition above and below
them, Sabres have the slightest chance of making it.
Observing the way they have been playing nowadays, when the stakes are high and every game has immense value, Buffalo is just treating it as if it were the start of the season and their still adjusting to all the different scenarios.
It is definitely time to wake up and start winning some games before it is to late but with Sabres on mind, that just does not seem possible at the moment for them.
Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton was enjoying the top Western Conference spot early on the Western Conference and sadly, it was short-lived.
With another top draft pick on the line-up in the form of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the Oilers seemed undefeatable. Nugent-Hopkins quickly adjusted and formed an elite young duo with top 2010 draft pick, Taylor Hall, but a little injury in the middle just killed
off any momentum between the two.
Now, Edmonton is back where they were a year ago at the lowest spot in the West with 66 points and 18 away from the eighth number spot and certainly are not going to boom in the final 9 remaining games.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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